Wednesday, 1 February 2017

To TV or not to TV...

Is it even a question ? I don't watch TV much anymore because it seems run by a group of well-meaning politically correct idiots who are convinced there is a need to include every area that exists as a sop to inclusion, or rights, or just to annoy regular viewers so they can argue with others and up the audience base a bit.

24/7 TV exposed the fact we only have 7 hours of real news and output to fill that time, so relentless repeats and inclusion of output meant for the tip or the other 200 pointless TV channels run from someone's back garden as a hobby, gets prime time slot instead. Agreed it provides work for those budding actors who usually only get a few doting relatives agreeing with their 'art', but... that was in school when they were cute 5 year olds...

The real issue is including people simply because it is flavour of the month, are current soundbites, or is topical in as much as topical has any real meaning, (and not generated by tabloids who cannot read, write, research accurate news, or have actual journalists). The next Queen we are told, will probably be portrayed as transgender, or mad as a box of frogs..... (OK they already did one of them a few times)...

E.G. I would not take credible a black Sherlock Holmes or a female one, having read Conan Doyle. Forget current inclusion, leave me my fiction, they didn't use iphones in Victorian London... neither was Jack the ripper a Native of north Korea or Asian... Having looked over Xmas at some TV output where 'cats/dogs/ferrets/horses, and squirrels do the funniest things..', where endless cookery programs win TV awards for making inedible and overpriced gunk that would not fill a gnats stomach, and a degree in serbo-croat and a dialect of complete gibberish is needed to follow, I think I will pass. Also programs that include Z-celebs, where failed politicians, and the obese or absurd, attempt to dance or something, it is no longer viewable except as a Mogadon substitute in residential care homes. I want the Black & White Minstrel show back, not because I am racist, because the tunes were good, and they didn't take their clothes off to get my interest or give me a lecture on Slavery first. As an observer of the USA it seems to me they do not like each other much anyway. They embrace difference, by moving it onto someone who gives a shit.

It will end up like the USA who have some guideline on media output or films that says a minimum of 5 ethnic nationalities has to be included to show how diverse the USA is. Diverse it is, multicultural it isn't. Also a rule the USA flag has to be included in every film at some stage, such a rule would be laughed out in the UK.

Frankly, if I want awareness of gender issues, female, male, or disabled, religious rights etc (There are 69 million people in the UK with them,some even have MORE than one issue), I would attend seminars, not watch a TV set. At least I would be educated by people who know what they are talking about, and don't stop every 5 minutes to plug toothpaste....

We all need to get out more. But, where do you go ? Sadly and on a social level, discourse seems to centre around 'what was on TV..' If you go in a pub the damned things are everywhere to kill discussion, or assume we even care what horses are running today, or endless 3 minute vids of 'pop' music, the music innovation and talent forgot.. and was replaced by end of the pier Karaoke.... by lithe young things with hardly any clothes on, which I suspect is the main interest in their output.That or nobody actually says anything because they are glued to an iphone, playing with their 'apps' (which I am sure violates some law or other, it's the end of community and social interaction). Everyone is a legend in their own bathtime and need to be constantly in contact with others, FOMO or something which I thought was soap powder, I have a FOGSIA fear of getting sucked into it all. We are even more important than the government who run the country, who at least sleep occasionally (Mostly in the Houses Of Parliament but)..

It leaves me a social outcast because I have no input to offer in response to "what did you think about Dolly's husband being a closet Al Queda supporter ? a transabled homosexual ? AND with a stammer !" via some farming soap opera.. I said I think you need counseling, or at the very least some in-house electric shock therapy for a few years, other than that, sorry, no I have no idea nor care. Then they look at me as if I have the problem.

It keeps you up with the latest news ! Erm... no it doesn't. If I want news I read everything I can, then form a consensual view, because if you watch the BBC/SKY or whatever news they all do the same items, add the same comment or overview, then repeat that 10 times an hour (Just in case someone in outer Mongolia missed that), but it is just different people telling you about it, not even putting an alternative slant on it. I watched Russian TV News once, strange channel, considering they have all that technology to hack the USA and the output is completely amateur and designed by a dyslexic 4 year old. Poor show giving their IT people can hack any country at the drop of a cossacks hat, you expected a bit more professionalism. Sadly because they invented fake news, no-one now watches their channel, but CNN instead who can at least add Beyonce to the mix to twerk it all.

TV is just trawling the Internet for news and do not bother to do in-depth anything now, because 30 seconds later the net has moved on again it's all catch up, or endless repeats of films and output from the 1960s and 70s which was the golden age of TV, the years when actors actually trained for their art. Now and again they actually invite a frustrated viewer to opine a view, like, 'I couldn't care less, what the hell are you talking about ? or who is Trump anyway ? I thought Trump was a colloquialism for a fart ?

They even try to sell you box sets of their repeats, worse, some people actually buy them despite being able to watch it anytime they want on TV, because all repeats have their own channels 24/7 as well, It's the novelty of having your own repeats in your own home or something. You can just record them yourself, why waste money ?

Unfortunately for current TV output I can still recall most of the ancient TV programs, and if I don't there are 3 other main channels apparently that are still repeating them till your eyes bleed.

Next week, IS Theresa May an Alien from Pluto ? or, the love child of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher ?